Szymanowski opera premiered in Sweden
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
18.03.2019 10:16
The opera “King Roger” by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski has premiered at the Royal Opera in Stockholm.
Image: geralt/pixabay/CC0 Creative Commons
The performance, directed by Poland’s Mariusz Treliński, is a co-production with the Polish National Opera in Warsaw.
The part of King Roger is sung by Polish baritone Łukasz Goliński. Swedish soprano Elin Rombo, who appeared as Queen Roxana, has told journalists that mastering the Polish language was “a big, albeit interesting challenge” for her.
A critic for Svenska Dagbladet described King Roger as a masterpiece, adding that it is a pity that Swedish audiences had to wait almost a century to see Szymanowski’s opera on stage.
Premiered in 1926, King Roger is the fruit of Szymanowski’s fascination with Oriental culture. Its action is set in the 12th century Norman Kingdom of Sicily during the reign of King Roger II.
The work is a philosophical-religious tale of sacrifice and faith. It presents the conflict between different religions and visions of life.
In 2015, King Roger was produced at the Royal Opera House – Covent Garden in London. (mk/pk)